Using Learning Collaboratives to Increase Access to Contraception to Achieve the Healthy People 2020 Goal for Contraceptive Use

For over thirty-five years, JSI has supported family planning providers around the US to reduce teen and unplanned pregnancies, support optimal birth spacing, lower the rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and improve birth outcomes.

Most recently, JSI worked with 12 publicly funded family planning sites to increase access to most and moderately effective methods of contraception* at these sites. This was accomplished through an eight-month national learning collaborative that included monthly online learning sessions.

The goal of the collaborative was to foster peer-to-peer learning and support to increase access, uptake, and continuation of the most effective and moderately effective methods of contraception among patients who could become pregnant, but wish to avoid pregnancy at the time. The ultimate goal was to ensure that all patients, regardless of life circumstances or ability to pay, can make informed choices about their reproductive health based on accurate information and have access to the full range of contraceptive methods.

The learning collaborative focused on strengthening participants’ quality improvement practices and implementing strategies related to four best practices:

Stock and dispense a broad range of contraceptive methods, including all provider-dependent FDA-approved contraceptive methods.

Discuss pregnancy intention and support patients through evidence-informed, patient-centered counseling.

Develop systems for the option of same-day initiation of all contraceptive methods.

Utilize diverse payment options to reduce cost as a barrier for the facility and the patient.

The percent of female patients using a most or moderately effective method of contraception increased from 70% to 79% among participating sites from October 2015 to May 2016.